Sand handling and conditioning apparatus



July 10, 1934. M. w. GOLDBERG ET AL 1,936,116

SAND HANDLING AND CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed May 51, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TORS )7?41/ BWM y ATTORNEY July 10, 1934. M. w. GOLDBERG ET AL 1,966,116

SAND HANDLING AND CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed May 5l Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Z/ M4 ATTORNEY@ July 10, 1934. M. W. GOLDBERG ET AL 1,966,116

SAND HANDLING AND CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed May 5l. 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVE);

ATTORNEYcs.

July l0, 1934.

M. W. GOLDBERG ET AL SAND HANDLING AND CONDITIONING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 5l. 1932 INVENTOR Za Q44 ATTORN E Y'.

Patented July 10, 1934 STATES SAND HANDLING AND CONDITIONING APPARATUS poration of Wisconsin Application May 31, 1932, Serial No. 614,400

11 Ciairns.

This invention relates to improvements in sand handling and conditioning apparatus.

It is common practice in ioundries, after the sand is shaken from the castings and molds, to

i deposit said sand in a heap on the oor and to stir it up either by hand or by machine to free the gases therefrom, and to break up and disintegrate the lumps so that it is in proper condition for re-Use. It is also necessary to moisten the sand, and the moistening operation is extremely imn portant inasmuch as the use of an improper amount of water may materially affect the quality of work produced. Heretofore, the addition of moisture has been largely a mattei' of guess work, due to the fact that no practical method has been devised for accurately proportioning the amount of water to be added to the sand.

In application Serial No. 580,063, now Patent No. 1,912,837, granted .lune 6, 1933, to Max W. Goldberg, there is disclosed apparatus for handling and conditioning sand wherein means is provided for supplying a measured amount of water to a given quantity of sand. The present invention relates in general to a similar type of device but embodies certain improvements which result in increased efficiency.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an improved sand handling and conditioning device having a novel means for measuring water and for delivering the same at low pressure to the sand. Y

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for measuring the sand which insures delivery of an accurate quantity whenever the discharge takes place.

A more speciiic object of the invention is to provide a device above described wherein a cylindrical sand measuring drum is utilized having a plurality of longitudinal sections therein, wherein the drum is mounted for tilting movement in a transverse direction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sand handling and conditioning device having sand measuring mechanism and having water measuring mechanism wherein novel means is utilized for synchronizing the operation of said two mechanisms.

A more specic object of this invention is to provide a device as above described wherein the synchronism between the sand measuring mechanism and the water measuring mechanism is obtained by means of electrical controlling devices.

A further object of the invention is to provide sand handling and conditioning apparatus having i a unit for mixing sand and water together in which endless belt mechanism is utilized for insuring delivery of the properly moistened sand from the mixer, said arrangement being adapted to prevent clogging within the mixing device.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved sand handling and conditioning apparatus having means for positively elevating the sand after it has been conditioned, to a position where it can be most efficiently discharged into a hopper.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a device as described in the paragraph above wherein the said elevating and discharge is accomplished by endless conveying mechanism.

With the above and other objects in View the invention consists of the improved sand handling and conditioning apparatus and all its parts and combinations, as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in al1 of the views:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of the 'nnproved apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the apparatus on a smaller scale, showing it positioned relative to a U J plurality of discharge hoppers;

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing means for directmg waste sand to a refuse bucket, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail view showing the mechanism for operating the shaker screen;

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of the sand measuring and mixing mechanism, parts being broken away;

Fig. 9 is an end view of said mechanism;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken on line 10-10 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary plan view of the device on a smaller scale showing the water measuring mechanism; and

Fig. 12 is a semi-diagrammatic View showing parts of the water measuring mechanism in elevation.

Referring to the drawings, particularly Fig. 5. it will be seen that a plurality of hoppers 15 are supported in any suitable manner such as by beams 16 at an elevation from the floor, said hoppers having the usual lower discharge openings 17 and having a side receiving opening 18. Extending parallel to the row of hoppers is a track 19 on which a wheeled truck 2O is movable.

Referring no w more particularly to Fig. 1, an elevator` unit 21 is secured to the side of the truck and said elevator extends downwardly to a position adjacent the floor and also extends upwardly above the truck. Said elevator unit is of standard construction and may be provided with an endless elevating device 22 carrying a plurality of elevating buckets 23. Suitable supports 24 project from the bottom of the elevator unit and have secured thereto near their outer ends upright frame members 25. Other frame members 26 extend inwardly at right angles from the frame members 25 and have mounted thereon bearings 27 within which shafts 28 and 29 and rollers 30 are journaled. An endless belt 3l is movable around said rollers. An upper frame portion 32 having downwardly curved inner end portions 33 is pivoted as at 34 to the uprights 25. Said frame portions 32 support a suitable screen 35 and said screen is adapted to discharge sand placed thereon onto the belt 31 and the latter is adapted to convey the sand into an opening 36 of the elevator unit where it is intercepted by the buckets 23. A sprocket wheel 37 mounted rigidly on the roller shaft 29 is connected by an endless chain 38 with a sprocket 39 in connection with an electric motor 40, the latter being thus adapted to impart motion to the endless belt. The roller shaft 29 is also provided with suitable cam portions 41 which are engageable with the downwardly curved inner ends 33 of the pivoted screen frame 32 to cause vibration of said screen and sifting of the sand.

A suitable frame-work 42 mounted on the truck 20 supports an electric motor 43. A drive shaft 44 extends in both directions from said motor, and one end of said drive shaft makes` a suitable connection with a shaft 45 extending into the upper portion of the elevator andcarrying an upper sprocket (not shown)I around which the endless elevating unit 22 is movable. The other end of the drive shaft 44 of the motor 43 is connected with a generator 46.

The elevator unit has a discharge spout 47 extending at an angle from one side thereof as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and said spout is arranged to discharge the elevated sand onto an endless belt 48 movable over a pulley 49 and a magnetic pulley 50'. The magnetic pulley 50 is rigidly mounted on a shaft 51' and one end of said shaft is driven through a wormVv and worm wheel connection 52 with another electric motor (see Fig. 1). The magnetic pulley 50 is electrically connected with the generator 46. Sand deposited on the belt 48 is discharged into a receptacle 53. Any metal mixed with the sand, however, will be held on the belt, due to the magnetic action of the pulley 50 and will not be released until the portion of the belt carrying the metal has passed the magnetic pulley. The metal will then be intercepted by the angularly extending partition 54 of the receptacle' 53 and directed through an opening 55 into a conduit 56. The latter is arranged to convey this metal to a point of discharge.

The receptacle 53 is provided with a lower opening having a screen 57 therein, and said receptacle and screen may be of any standard construction, and are arranged to vibrate t0 Cause discharge of the sand through the screen. In view of the fact that the receptacle and screen are arranged on an incline, any particles which do not pass through the screen will be shaken toward a funnel-shaped upper end 58 of a discharge conduit 59 as shown in Fig. 6.

Almost all of the sand, however, will pass through the screen into a sand measuring device 60 which is illustrated in Figs. 2, 8, 9 and 10 and which will be hereinafter described in detail. A measured quantity of sand will be discharged by the latter device into a mixer 6l which includes mixing paddles 62 mounted on a pair of parallel shafts 63. The paddles on the two shafts are arranged to t between one another during rotation so that a thorough mixing action is effected. Near the outer ends of the shafts 63 intermeshing pinions 64 are mounted to cause both'shafts to be driven simultaneously. One of the shafts 63 extends outwardly past the pinions and has mounted thereon a sprocket 65 which is connected by an endless chain 66 with a sprocket wheel 67 mounted on a shaft 68, The latter shaft is suitably journaled on the frame parallel with and below the mixer and has its other end provided with a rigidly mounted bevel gear 69 which engages a bevel gear 7 0, the latter being rigidly mounted on a shaft 71 extending at right angles to the shaft 68. An endless belt 72 is movable over a roller 73 rigidly mounted on the shaft 71 and around another roller 74 mounted on a shaft 75.

In View of the fact that the bottom of the mixer is open, the mixed sand and water will be deposited upon the belt 72 which will convey the sand from the mixer. The rear end of the mixer is provided with a gate 76 which is vertically slidable in guides 77. Set screws 78 are provided to suitably hold the gate in a desired position of elevation so that the space 79 between the' belt and the lower edge of the gate can be control-led to regulate the amount of discharge from: the mixer.

TheY shaft 68 has another sprocket wheel 80 rigidly mounted thereon which is connected by an endless chain 81 with a sprocket wheel 82 mounted rigidly on the shaft 51 of the magnetic pulley.

As the paddles of the mixer are operated, water is discharged into the mixer, by means to be later described in detail, and the sand is thoroughly mixed with the water and directed by the belt 72 into an opening 83 of an elevator 84. rIPhe said elevator embodies the usual endless chain mechanism 85 having flights 86 mounted thereon and the endless chain is movable around sets of sprocket wheels 87, 88, 89 and 90. The latter sprocket wheels are mounted rigidly on a sha-ft 91 carrying another sprocket wheel 92 which is connected through an endless chain 93 with a driving motor 94.

The sand is therefore intercepted by the flights 86y and carried upwardly. When it reaches the end 95 of an angular plate 96 (see Fig. 4), it will be permitted to fall into an aerating device 97. This device consists of a plurality of paddle wheels 98 mounted on a shaft 99. The latter shaft is connected by an endless chain 100 with a shaft 101 driven by an electric motor 102.

Motion is also transmitted from the shaft 101 through a drive 103 with a shaft 104 of an endlessbelt conveyor 105. The drive is such that the paddles 98 of the aerator will be rotated very rapidly to cause a thorough aeration and breaking upofthe sand. From the paddles sand falls onto the endless belt conveyor from which it is carried upwardly at a slight angle into the receiving opening 18 of a selected one of the hoppers l5. By utilizing the elevating unit 84 and belt conveyor 105 for the discharge o the sand the hoppers can be more completely lled than in former application Serial No. 588,063 wherein the sand is directed into the hoppers by means of a blower. With the blower arrangement a large opening has to be provided in the hopper and the sand is directed upwardly therein at an angle. It is therefore impossible to completely ll the hopper as when it has been filled to a certain point the sand will tend to slide out of the large opening. With the present arrangement, however, wherein the sand is positively conveyed by the belt 105 into an opening of smaller size the hopper can be very completely filled.

The mixer 61 is provided at each end with upwardly extending bearings 106 and said bearings are arranged to receive trunnions 107 of a frame 108, the latter being pivotal on the trunnions transversely of the mixer. An arm 109 extending from one side of the frame carries a weight 110 which normally tends to cause 'the frame to pivot downwardh7 on this side. Opposite ends of the frame 108 are provided with upwardly extending bearing members within which a longitudinal shaft 111 is journaied. Said shaft has rigidly mounted therein end discs 112 which are connected by longitudinally extending partitions 113 to form three compartments of the sand measuring unit.

One of the end discs 112 of the sand measuring device has mounted on its outer a plurality of cam members 114. One of said can.. members is normally in engagement with a plunger 115 which is yieldingly slidable through a housing 116 supported on the frame 108. The said plunger tends to normally hold the measuring device against rotation. Whenv the plunger 115 is engaging one of the cams as shown in Fig. 8 another yieldingly mounted plunger 117 is in engagement with another one of the cams 114 on the opposite side of the end disc (as shown in Fig. 10). Thus the end disc is eiectively held against rotation in either direction. As sand is discharged into the upper compartment or" the sand measuring unit it will cause a weight to be exerted on one of the partitions 113 and when a predetermined quantity of sand has been directed into the compartment the weight o1 the sand will overcome the counter-balance 110 and will permit the frame to pivot downwardly on the side opposite to the counter-balance until a finger 118 engages a limit switch 119 to cause energizing of a solenoid 120. Through the bell cra-nk 121 shown in Fig. 8 the energizing of the solenoid will cause a withdrawal of the plunger 115 causing a disengagement of the cam 114 and permitting the measuring device to rotate in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 9 to discharge the measured quantity of sand into the mixer below. As soon as the sand is discharged the com tenbalance 110 will tilt the frame back to normal position and another cam 114 will have moved around into engagement with the released plunger 115. On the other side of the end disc an opposite cam 114 will have slipped into enm gagement with the plunger 117. Each time one of the compartments is filled the device will rotate another one third of a revolution.

Referring to Fig. 12, whenever the upper compartment of the sand measuring device has been filled to overbalance the counter-weight and to cause the finger 118 to engage the limit switch 119, the said switch will in addition to energizing the solenoid also cause completion of the circuit 122 to a magnetic switch 123. The latter will set the motor of an electric thruster 124 in operation. Said thruster is of standard construction and embodies a rotary motor driven oil pump which will act to cause elevation of a plunger 125 against the tension of springs 126. Said plunger has its upper end pivotally connected to one end of a lever 127 and the latter which is ulcrumed as at 128, has its other end pivotally connected to the upper end of a plunger 129. Thus, when the thruster is set in operation it will force the plunger 129 downwardly. When the plunger 125 of the thruster has been raised to a predetermined point it will engage a limit switch 130 to shut ofi the magnetic switch 123. The springs 126 will then return the thruster to normal position. A manual switch 131 may also be interposed in the circuit 122 to permit manual control of the thruster when desired.

The fulcrum for the lever 127 is formed by extending the lever slidably through a block 132,

said block having trunnions 133 extending from each side thereof (see Fig. 11). One o said trunnions is slidable in an elongated slot of a bar 134. The other trunnion is journaled in the side of a block 135, the latter having a threaded bore within which a screw 136 extends. The screw is connected through bevel gears 137 with a pulley 138. A chain 139 which passes over the pulley extends downwardly to a convenient position near the loor. Upon movement of the chain the pulley and screw will be rotated, causing the block to travel along the screw and to carry with it the fulcrumed block 132. Thus the position of the fulcrum for the lever 127 can be varied at will to change the length of the stroke of the plunger 129.

The plunger 129 extends into a closed cylinder 140 and carries a piston 141 at its lower end which is slidable to cause the discharge of water in the lower part of the cylinder through the outlet pipe 142. Said outlet pipe is provided with an automatic check valve 143 and with a stand pipe 144 to break the vacuiun within the discharge pipe and thus prevent any syphoning eiect. An inlet pipe section 145 is adapted to feed water to the cylinder 140. The feed pipe, which is also provided with an automatic check valve 145, extends from a float tank 147. Water at city pressure can enter through the pipe 148 to the tank 147 and when said water has reached a desired height within the container, the valve 149 will be automatically shut off through the action of a float 150. Thus the city pressure is automatically shut oi and the water can be fed at low pressure to the cylinder 140 so as not to interfere with the valve action.

In operation of this part of the system when the plunger 129 is raised, it will suck in a definite quantity of water from the container 147. When the thruster, however, is set into operation the plunger will be lowered and the measured charge in the bottom of the cylinder 140 will be exhausted through the discharge pipe 142. The latter pipe will convey the water to a pipe 151 extending adjacent the mixer and the water therefrom will be deposited into the mixer through a plurality of nozzles 152. Thus, as soon as a batch of sand has been discharged into the mixer a measured amount of water will be automatically discharged into the batch.

The amount of water which is to be discharged for each batch is, of course, controlled by adjustment of the fulcrum 128. The iulcrum block 132 may be connected by a flexible member 153 with a weight 154 movable in a gauge 155. The said weight may be provided with a suitable indicator cooperable with a scale on the gauge to calibrate the amount of water which will be discharged for a certain position of the fuicrum.

While the operation of the Various individual units of the apparatus has already been described, for purposes ci clarity, a summary or the operation of the entire device will be made at this point. Sand deposited on the shaker screen 35 will be discharged by the latter onto the movable endless belt 3l and carried by said belt into the buckets of the movable endless elevator 22. Said buckets will carry the sand upwardly and will deposit it into the discharge spout 47 carried by the upper portion o1" the elevator. The discharge spout will in turn direct the sand onto the endless belt Ai8 which is movable over the magnetic pulley 50. Said sand will then be deposited on top of the vibrating screen 57, and any metallic particles mixed with the sand will be separated therefrom and directed by the partiti^n 54 into the discharge conduit 5S as previously pointed out, due to the action oi" the magnetic pulley on said metallic particles. The sand on the vibrating screen 5"? will then be discharged into the upper compartment of the sand measuring unit. When said compartment has received a predetermined amount, said unit will tilt laterally making contac through the limit switch with the solenoid 120 to permit a one h "ldred and twenty degree rotation of the cornpartmental drum and discharge of the sand and at the saine time the limit switch will cause the thruster 124 to operate to cause the water measuring mechanism to discharge a measured quantity of water into the mixer. The paddles of the mixer will then disribute the water evenly throughout the batch oi sand and the moistened material will then be conveyed by the endless belt 72 into the elevator unit 84. The latter will carry the sand upwardly and will discharge it into the aerator 97. From the aerator the sand will be directed by the discharge belt 10.5 into the receiving opening of a predetermined hopper. The said hopper may then be used to discharge sand from its lower end into a mold positioned below. When a desired amount of sand has been deposited in one of the hoppers the unit may be moved over the tracks 19 to a position adjacent. another hopper. Thus workmen stationed at molds below each of the hoppers may be readily furnished with properly prepared sand by means of a single portable sand conditioning outfit. Due to the novel mechanism it may be seen that the degree of moisture can oe varied at will by operating the accessible chain 1391 so that thc unit can be moved back and forth to discharge sand containing a different degree of moisture into diierent hoppers as required.

Although only one form of the invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that various changes and modiiications and other adaptations may be made and it is to be understood that all such changes are contemplated as may come within the scope oi' the claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a sand handling apparatus, sand measuring mechanism, water measuring mechanism, means for directing sand into said sand measuring mechanism, and electrically controlled means for automatically adding a measured amount of water from said water measuring mechanism to a measured amount of sand.

2. In a sand handling apparatus, a receptacle, means for directing sand into said receptacle, a water container, a piston movable in said water container, a conduit leading from said water container to said sand receptacle, means for moving said piston to discharge water from the water container into the sand receptacle, and means for varying the length of movement of said piston to control the amount of water discharged.

3. In a sand handling apparatus, a receptacle, means for directing sand into said receptacle, a water container, a piston movable in said water container, a piston rod extending from said piston, a conduit leading from said water container to said sand receptacle, a thruster having a movable plunger, and a fulcrumed lever having its ends pivotally connected to said plunger and piston rod for causing movement of said piston rod upon operation of the thruster to discharge watei into the sand receptacle.

4. In a sand handling apparatus, a receptacle, means for directing sand into said receptacle, a water container, a piston movable in said water container, a piston rod extending from said piston, a conduit leading from said water container to said sand receptacle, a thruster having a movable plunger, a fulcrumed lever having its ends pivotally connected to said plunger and piston rod for causing movement of said piston rod upon operation of the thruster to discharge water into the sand receptacle, and means for varying the position of the fulcrum for said lever to regulate the amount of water discharged.

5. In a sand handling apparatus, a rotatable drum having a plurality of compartments, means for directing sand into a compartment of said drum, a receptacle below said drum, a projection extending from a. portion of the drum, electrically controlled means normally engageable with said projection for preventing rotation of the drum, a switch in the circuit with said eleotrically controlled means, and means movable in response to the weight of the sand discharged into said compartment for tripping said switch to complete the circuit to said electrically controlled means and cause rotation of the drum and discharge of sand into the receptacle below when the compartment has been iilled with a predetermined amount of sand.

6. In -a sand handling apparatus, a rotatable drum having a plurality of compartments, means for directing sand into a compartment of said drum, a receptacle below said drum, a projection extending from a portion of the drum, electrically controlled means normally engageable with said projection for preventing rotation of the drum, a switch in the circuit with said electrically controlled means, means movable in response to the weight of the sand discharged into said compartment for tripping said switch to complete the circuit to said electrically controlled means and cause rotation of the drum and discharge of sand into the receptacle below when the compartment has been lled with a predetermined amount of sand, water measuring mechanism, and means for automatically adding a measured amount of water from the water measuring mechanism to a measured amount of sand in the receptacle.

'7. In a sand handling apparatus, a rotatable drum having a plurality of compartments, means for directing sand into a compartment of said drum, a receptacle below said drum, a projection extending from a portion of the drum, electrically controlled means normally engageable with said projection for preventing rotation of the drum, a switch in the circuit with said electrically controlled means, means movable in response to the weight of the sand discharged into said compartment for tripping said switch to complete the circuit to said electrically controlled means and cause rotation of the drum and discharge of sand into the receptacle below when the compartment has been filled with a predetermined amount of sand, and electrically controlled water measuring mechanism in the circuit with said switch for automatically adding a measured amount of water to a measured amount of sand in the receptacle when said switch is tripped.

8. In a sand handling apparatus, a receptacle, means for directing sand into said receptacle, a float tank, a conduit for eeding Water to said oat tank, a valve in said conduit operable by the float in the float tank to shut oi the supply of Water, a water measuring container, a valved conduit between the float tank and the water measuring container to supply water to the latter, a piston movable in said water measuring container, a piston rod extending from said piston, a conduit leading from said water measuring container to said sand receptacle, a thruster having a movable plunger, and a fulcrumed lever having its ends pivotally connected to said plunger and piston rod for causing movement of said piston rod upon operation of the thruster to cause supply of water to the water measuring container and to discharge water from the water measuring container into the sand receptacle.

9. In a sand handling apparatus, a receptacle,

means for directing sand into said receptacle, a water container, a piston movable in said Water container, a piston rod extending from said piston, a conduit leading from said water container to said receptacle, a thruster having a movable plunger, a fulcrumed lever having its ends pivotally connected to said plunger and piston rod, means operable upon discharge of sand into the sand receptacle for starting said thruster in operation to cause movement of the piston rod and discharge of water into the sand receptacle, and means engaged by the movable plunger of the thruster when the latter has been moved a predetermined distance for stopping the operation of said thruster.

10. In a sand handling apparatus, sand measuring mechanism, water measuring mechanism, means for directing sand into said sand measuring mechanism, and forced feeding means embodied in said water measuring mechanism and cooperable with said sand measuring mechanism to add a measured amount of water from said water measuring mechanism to a measured amount of sand.

11. In a sand handling apparatus, sand measuring mechanism, water measuring mechanism, a float controlled tank connectable with a source of water supply for supplying water at low pressure to said water measuring mechanism, means for directing sand into said sand measuring mechanism, and means for automatically adding a measured amount of water from said water measuring mechanism to a measured amount of sand.

MAX W. GOLDBERG. WALLACE W. DRISSEN. 

